A location would be informative for we idle commentators, David

Try this:

https://what3words.com/how-to-use-the-what3words-app

MichaelG.

It’s a cruel world, I was nailed officiously for entering a bus-lane prematurely in order to turn left across it.

On the plus side, I now see myself as a freedom loving wild boy, leader of the pack, whom all the chicks will fall for.  Except in the real world I muttered something wet about it being a fair cop and paid the fine.

Dave

I live just off the A14 on a section with a variable speed limit. It is very annoying to be doing the limit (set on the car’s variable limiter against GPS so at limit +0 -1 MPH) and have people sitting on your bumper flashing their lights at you because they can see the end of the limit on the neaxt matrix sign. It’s more gratifying to see some of them accelerate towards the end of limit and then get flashed by the fixed camera between the signs..

Robert.

Presumably you were above the usual speed limit +10% +1mph usually applicable to speed cameras?

Robert,  Cambridge by any chance?

I recently left Rothwell, quite late at night, towards the A14.  I became aware of a vehicle following me, a safe distance back, within the sharp bends and 30mph limit and again in the 40mph section.  I didn’t slow at any of the bends in the town.

I was minded to think it was plod, so waited and booted all 300 horses immediately after the derestriction marker.  It caught me up, after I settled the cruise to 69mph, and followed me into Kettering. It was plod.  But put simply, if one sticks to the speed limit, one is safe from speeding fines (but not necessarily other  offences).

I don’t know the tolerance allowed in average speed restrictions.  Anyone know?

Hampshire’s thresholds for “driver awareness training” are 35, 46, 57, 68, 79 mph, which looks as though you are allowed 10% + 1 mph.

They say they adhere to national guidelines for speed camera enforcement.

George

Let’s try this for size:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.1135295,-1.267582,3a,75y,349.44h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sixv_P3otrxcRXV_GhleWmA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D0%26panoid%3Dixv_P3otrxcRXV_GhleWmA%26yaw%3D349.4393!7i16384!8i8192?hl=en-gb&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDYyOS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

MichaelG.

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Edit: and for no special reason, I’ve picked this square:

https://w3w.co/dates.intro.since

Come to south Yorkshire,  it’s 10% plus two here, which is designed to allow for civilian vehicles not having a calibrated speedo.

We used to have to put a statement in after driving a measured Mile with a calibrated stop watch if we did a speeder with a beat car follow.

I once did a short stint in the safety camera partnership (government cash generator department). My job was to put in the evidence for any ticket that ended up going to trial and appear at court to prove the case.

I didn’t last long as I was a bit of a stickler for actual evidence, a thing that the civilian staff treated as somewhat of a nuisance.

One job that started my decline was a night time Gatso activation. White van man was snapped fair and square well over the limit.

He pleaded not guilty saying the camera was defective and had blinded him with the flash, almost causing him to crash. Presumably the flash stopped him seeing his speedo too.

I checked the camera was functional and in good order. For night time offences a magenta filter is fitted to the camera enclosure so that the flash doesn’t interfere with a drivers vision. This filter is held in place by the biggest internal circlip in all creation,  about 5 inches in diameter. A direct hit with a cruise missile wouldn’t dislodge it.

But this boy insisted he had been flashed by white light so the filter must have been missing.

I pulled the images off to take to court,  as mentioned it was a white van. But the images clearly showed a pink van, illuminated by the magenta flash filter. Case closed.

Nope, the wide boy defended himself and managed to get the CPS lawyer in such a state that he withdrew the case. He threatened to sue because the camera was a danger to law abiding motorists like him, he conveniently forgot the camera was triggered when he went through the detector at 15mph above the limit.

No amount of me pointing out the red hue of the photos was any use with a lawyer who knows very little about motoring offences.

The end for me though came when a pair of brothers were zapped on their way home from the bank. They were representing themselves, remember there is no legal aid for motoring cases. The magistrate was not happy that they had no legal advice, and as he was looking at a significant penalty he wanted them to at least have a fair crack of the whip.

The call went out for any defence lawyer willing to offer a bit of free legal advice to the errant siblings. THE SILENCE WAS DEAFENING!

The magistrate still insisted that these two needed council. The CPS lawyer disqualified himself as he was prosecuting the case and saw a conflict of interest. He also had no concept of what to advise them as he would get me to do all the spade work in proving the case.

So they asked me, chief and only witness for the prosecution. Would I mind having a chat with the brothers grim and advise them of their best course of action.

Talk about not being able to make it up.

So I duly sat with the accused, established what had happened and wrote them a list of questions to ask me when I was in the box.

In court I laid out the evidence for the crown while the CPS man looked confused about speed/ time calculations and photographic evidence.

The brothers were invited to cross examine me and asked each question I had written down in turn.

The answers went something like ; “Yes, no, not always and not in this case your worships.”

After two minutes of whispered cogitation the chair of the bench declared “Not guilty, you may leave the court”.

Yes, I successfully managed to get the defendants off, saving them a fine and lengthy ban.

I simply thought “This is too stupid for words, I’ll point out the only defence they could avail themselves of.” And it worked.

I was also able to see the work of Mr.Loophole up close in court. Defender of the rich and famous he came to our little court to represent someone with plenty of the folding stuff and plenty of points on his licence.

He was a joy to watch and literally the magistrates what they were going to do. I’ve never seen someone so calm and self assured.

Long winded way of saying, if I ever get a speeding or other camera ticket I’ll go to court and give the ball a kick. It’s very possible if not likely that I would be able to tie the CPS in knots, always remember that the traffic cases are handed out to the lowliest lawyers who have not shown the mettle to deal with proper criminal cases.

But on the OPs original point, you don’t accelerate until AFTER you pass the speed limit sign.